Side-rail fastener for beds



Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

UITTED STATES PATEFNTVOFFI'CE...

PHILIP M. I-IOWSE, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO HOL-FAST BEDLOCKCOMPANY, OF-NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, A' CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE;

SIDE-RAIL FASTENER FOR BEDS.

Application filed May 5,

which project from the ends thereof and are intended to be fitted intoslots formed in the head and foot posts where they engage pins extendingtransversely through the slots. This has been found, unsatisfactory asthe hooks become tightly wedged between the cross pins and inner ends ofthe slots and it is very difficult to release the hooks. It is oftennecessary to strike the under portion of the side rail with a hammer orthe like in order to release the hooks and this is liableto mar the siderail or break it if formed of metal.

Therefore, one object of theinvention is to provide a bed rail fastenerwhich may have portions engaged with crosspins passing through a slot ina bed post and very securely held in engagement with the pins butpermittedto be easily released therefrom. v

Another object ofthe invention is to provide the fastener with a bodyportion adapted to be secured to a bed rail and upon the body mountlevers carrying arms to engage the cross. pins of a bedpost, means beingprovided to securelybut releasably retain. the levers in a set position.

Another object of the invention is to permit the levers tobe mountedupon a common pivot pin and also mount securing means upon the pin whichwill serve to retain the levers thereon and to securely hold them in aset position. I

Another object of the invention is to guide movement of the pinengagingarms so that they may be easily engaged with or disconnectedfrom the cross pins carried by the bed posts. 7 I Another object of theinvention is tolprovide a fastener of the character described which maybe formed from stamped sheet metal and, therefore, strong and durable atthe same time-cheap to produce.

Theinvention is illustrated n the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1is a View showing one endiport-ion of a bed railconnected witha. portion192?. Serial No..189,055.

of a bed post by one of the improved fasteners, theview beingprincipally in side elevation but partially insection; v r I Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2+2 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing portion of one of the levers jconstituting part of the fastener, and s V Fig. 4; is a side elevationillustrating modified form of fastener. a l I i The fastenerconstituting the subjectmatter of this invention is intended to connecta side rail 1 of abed with a post 2 forming a portion of the head orfoot of the bed and-includes a body portion3 which is, preferably formedfrom stamped sheet metal and maybe provided with ears 4 and 5 extendingfromits sides and one end so that thebody may be seated in a recess 6formed in the bed rail and screws or equivalent fasteners 7 passedthrough the ears and intov the bed rail to securely hold the body inplace. Iffdesired, the ears 4 and 5 may be omitted and the body orbracket ,3 disposed fiat againstthe inner face of the bed rail and-thefasteners passed through openings formed adjacent the margins of thebracket,as shown in Fig. 4. By having the bracket seated in a recessformed in the bed rail as shown in Figs. 1 and'2, it will be countersunkand elements carried by the bracket will be shielded andtherebyprevented from being damaged. A flange 8 extends across the outer end ofthe bracket or body 3 and this flange is formedwith spaced slots oropenings 9 through which pass arms 10 having hooks 11 at their outerends. These arms project from the end of the bed rail. and are intendedto be passed into a recess or pocket 12 formed in a bed post 2 andengaged with pins 13 which are carried by the post and extendtransversely through the pocket, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to actuate the arms 10, there has been provided levers 14 whichare pivotally mounted upon astem 15 carried, by and extending Itransversely from the bracket 3 adjacent the outer end thereof. Eachlever, has its pivotallyinounted end provided with a side extension 16'to which an arm 10 is pivotally connected by a rivet or. equivalentfaste'nerxlf? and about the pivot stem 15 the levers are formed with thearms rest upon the cross pins. The

levers are then grasped and pressure applied to move them toward eachother from the position shown in Fig. 1 towards the position shown inFig. 1. This movement causes the side extensions ofthe levers to swingaway from the flange 8 and the arms 10 y will be moved longitudinallyuntil their bed.

hooks 11 are in firm engagement with the pins 13 and the flange 8 andend face of the bed rail held in close contacting engagement with thebed post. The winged nut 19 is now tightened upon the stem 15 and willbear against the levers to hold the teeth 18 in interlocked engagementand prevent the levers from returning to the position shown in Fig. at.Therefore, the bed rail will be very securely held in engagement withthe bed post. W hen it is desired to release the rail, it is merelynecessary to loosen the nut and the levers can then be swung away fromeach other. This will cause the hooked ends of the arms to be moved awayfrom the pins carried by the bed posts and the rail may be easily liftedand the arms drawn out of the recess in the post. It will thusbe seenthat with this fastener a bed rail may be very securely held inengagement with a bed post but may be very easily released whennecessary. It should be noted that the levers are movable independentlyof each other and, therefore, are self-equalizing as each book 11 may bedrawn into tight gripping engagementwith its pin 13 even if the pins arenot disposed evenly in the recess and a very tight joint formed'betweenthe posts and side rails of a Having thus described the invention, Iclaim: 7

1. A fastener comprising a body adapted to be secured to an article tobe supported, a flange extending transversely from said body and formedwith slots, a stem extending from said body, levers-pivotally carried bysaid stem and having handle portions movable towards and away from eachother, arms 'pivotally connected with said levers :and extending throughsaid slots and having their outer end portions provided with .sua ort-en'a 'in means and means carried a flange extending transversely from saidcarried by said stem to releasably secure the levers in a set position.

3. A fastener comprising a body adapted to 'be secured to an article tobe supported, a flange extending transversely from said body and formedwith slots, a stem extending from said body, levers pivotally carried bysaid stem one against the other and having handle portions movabletowards and away from each other,-arms pivoted to said levers atopposite sides of the stem and slidably passed through the slots ofsaidflange and having their outer end portions provided withsupport-engaging means and a securing nut for-said levers threaded uponsaid stem. 7 V

4. A fastener comprising a body adapted to be secured to an article tobe supported, a stem extending from said body, levers pivotally mountedupon said stem and hav ing handle portions movable toward and away fromeach other, arms pivotedto said levers and having their outer endportion adapted to engagea support, and means-carried by said stem toreleasably secure the levers in a set position with the arms in H firmengagement with a support.

5. A fastener comprising abody adapted to be secured to an article tobesupported, a flange extending transversely from said body and formedwithslots spaced lon itudinally of the flange, a stem extenclinrom saidbody, levers pivoted upon said stem and having handle portions movablet'owards and away from each other, saidlevers 'having side extensionsextending from opposite sides of said stem and contacting faces of thelevers about the stem having interlocking teeth, arms pivoted to theside extensions of said levers and slida bly passed through-said slotsand having-their outer ends provided with support-engaging hooks, and asecuring nut threaded .upon said stem and adapted to hold the levers ina.set position with their teeth interlocked.

seated in said recess, securing tongues extending from marginal-portions.of said racket and engaging the 'walls of the reoess with their endportions overlapping the said face of said article and secured thereto,I

' a stem extending from said 'bracketand-disposed in the recess, leversloose upon said stem and extending longitudinally of the bracket withinthe recess, arms carried by seated in said recess and secured therein,

a stem carried by said bracket and disposed within the recess, leverspivoted uponsaid stem andextending longitudinally in the recess andmovable towards and away from each other, arms pivoted to said leversand projecting from therarticle through one end of the recess and havingsupport-engaging means at their outer ends, and securing means carriedby said stem to releasably retain the levers in a set position.

8. A bed rail fastener comprising a body adapted to be secured against abed rail,

levers disposed one against the other and at one end pivoted to saidbody, the pivoted ends of said levers being disposed about a commonpivot and having side extensions extending 1n opposite directions,anchors pivoted to the side extensions of said levers and projectingfrom the levers in vertical spaced relation to each other, means tosupport the anchors and guide movement thereof, and means to releasablyretain the levers in adjusted positions. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PHILIP M. HOWSE. [L. s.]

